Mercury is in retrograde, and communications and negotiations are taking a turn toward purgatory.

Sources tell us that Peter Duncan’s George Comfort & Sons was getting ready to buy the Scoop building at 430 W. 14th St. when “they changed the terms of the term sheet in a very significant way.”

Instead, as we told you last week, the building, which is owned by Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos., is now in contract to Joe Sitt’s Thor Equities for just under $100 million.

Comfort couldn’t hit the moving terms fast enough, and in the blink of an eye, sources said, Burkle used a different lawyer to negotiate a fast contract with Sitt.

Comfort had targeted the Scoop building as part of a tax-free 1031 exchange to offset the possible profits from its upcoming sale of Worldwide Plaza, which is also yet to yield a winner.

Those still playing for a piece of the Worldwide sandbox include Paramount Group, RXR and several others that have proposed pricing over $1.3 billion, sources said.

Comfort has always kept a possible recapitalization in play, and sources now tell us it has decided to pursue that option and remain in the deal.

Douglas Harmon and Adam Spies of Eastdil Secured are the brokers on both deals. No one from any of the firms returned requests for comment.

In another kerfuffle, Jamestown’s deal to buy 90 Fifth Ave. on the northwest corner of W. 14th Street from Aby Rosen’s RFR for $115 million completely unwound as Forbes stopped paying rent on the office property that it essentially net leases.

Sources tell us that Jamestown and RFR have amicably parted but that RFR still has a big beef with Forbes over its “tortious interference” in the transaction — let alone the non-payment of rent.

In July, after RFR dutifully notified Forbes of Jamestown’s offer and asked for an estoppel certificate — which summarizes the obligations of the tenant to the building owner — Forbes didn’t sign and stopped paying its $650,000-a-month rent.

Without the estoppel and with no income, Jamestown backed away.

Meanwhile, Forbes changed the name on the lease to a subsidiary, NSGV, Inc. When Occupy Wall Street was targeting Forbes, the frightened company took its Forbes signage down and has not bothered to put it back up.

Sources say Rosen is furious as the economics of the building are tied up with what was considered a credit tenant.

RFR is likely to sue and go after both the Forbes family and perhaps even Bono’s Elevation Partners, which invested $300 million for a 40 percent stake in Forbes Media.

“It’s ironic that a company that promotes wealthy businesses and individuals is acting this way,” said a source.

A spokeswoman for Forbes was only insistent that NSGV is on the lease and not Forbes Media, leading us to wonder if NSGV is walling off assets.

Rumors concerning Forbes’ finances have persisted for years as the family sold the late founder Malcolm Forbes’ prized yacht, the Highlander; a collection of Fabergé eggs; and its former headquarters at 60 Fifth Ave. to NYU.

***

In August, we told you Baccarat was ready to sign a deal at 635 Madison, a magnificent double-height space at E. 60th St. a block north of its current duplex at 625 Madison. The ink is now dry, and the space is wrapped in a Baccarat ad as construction begins.

The 2,864-square-foot store has been designed by Rafael de Cárdenas/Architecture at Large with a 22-foot high atrium entry way of faceted surfaces. The edgy and contemporary design with lifestyle displays will be a model for the global crystal brand that celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2014.

Baccarat, which will open the store in May 2013, was repped by Eric Le Goff and Jim Downey of Cushman & Wakefield, who declined comment.

Building owner Ashkenazy Acquisitions handled its side of the deal for the former Searle space in-house. Asking rents in that area of Madison were in the $1,200 a foot range when this deal was negotiated.

We’re also told sales at the new Baccarat Hotel & Residences by the Museum of Modern Art will also begin next year.

***

At the end of March, we told you Banco Santander was trying to sell and lease back its building at 45 E. 53rd St. overlooking Lever House for around $120 million. The Spanish bank met its mark as a city deed revealed.

Alex Kurkin, the Florida-based attorney and trustee for the buyer, declined comment other than to say it was among a number of year-end transactions he is closing. The buying entity owns other property around the US.

[email protected]